Exhaust system



Nov. 24, 1959 v G. s. LASHLEY 2,913,370

EXHAUST SYSTEM Filed Jan. 19, 1955 INVENTOR 6. E. Lash/ey 4 a r I I ATTORNEY United States Patent EXHAUST SYSTEM George E. Lashley, Hagerstown, Md.

Application January 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,787

2 Claims. (Cl. 60-29) This invention relates to internal combustion engines in which fuel is consumed and the products of combustion are discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust system designed among other things to reduce noise. The invention is directed particularly to the exhaust system of such engines including the mufflers employed in suppressing the noise and the dissipation of the products of combustion.

The exhaust systems of internal combustion engines for many years have included various types of manifolds, exhaust pipes, and mufilers, designed to meet requirements, but which have been subject to criticism because they interfered with the operation of the engine, including the efiiciency, have caused increased consumption of fuel, produced back pressure, were short lived, and increased backfiring and noise.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple, inexpensive, and efficient exhaust system, which will not produce appreciable back pressure regardless of the size of the load, will promote maximum mileage from the fuel, and will satisfactorily remove the products of combustion and dissipate the gases without objectionable noise or backfiring.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exhaust system which will permit operation of the engine at the lowest temperature with consequent minimum temperature in the exhaust system and without danger of leakage of the products of combustion, including carbon monoxide, but which will cause discharge from the exhaust pipe or exhaust system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exhaust system of maximum durability which will provide for the even discharge of gases and in which rupturing stresses due to changes in temperature will be avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide an exhaust system which can be readily applied and removed and which is capable of being adapted to internal combustion engines already in use and with the change-over enhancing or improving the operation of the engine to which it is applied from the viewpoint of power and increased trouble-free operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary detail illustrating the manner of suspending the exhaust pipes; I

Fig. 3, a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4, a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention provides an exhaust system for internal combustion engines and particularly those employed in motor vehicles, and it comprises manifold castings with openings for registration with the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine and with such castings having separate tubes which combine into exhaust pipes of larger size capable of handling the discharge from the tubes without back pressure. One or more couplings are disposed between the castings and the main body of the exhaust pipe, with a mutfier on the perforated rear end of the exhaust pipe, such muffiers comprising cylinders of heavy screen wire about the perforated portion of the exhaust pipe and with a wrapping of fibrous glass the ends of which terminate in spaced relation providing a slot along the lower portion of its length through which the exhaust gases may be discharged. A sheet metal casing encloses the Whole and a pair of such exhaust pipes and mufflers being suspended by suitable brackets beneath an automobile, the number of pipes and muffiers preferably being in proportion to the size of the engine.

With continued reference to the drawing, a conventional truck 10 has a frame 11 supported by wheels 12 and powered by an internal combustion engine 13. The engine has the usual exhaust ports 14, one for each cylinder, six being shown. Exhaust from the ports is received within exhaust headers including plates 15 and 15' having openings 16 and 16 for fastening bolts 17 and 17.

The engine of the present invention is provided with six cylinders and the exhaust for these includes two sets of tubes 18, 19, 20 and 18', 19' and 20' the tubes of each set or group being of progressively increased length with the tubes of the first group welded to a larger pipe 21 and those of the second group to a larger pipe 21'. Angular joints 22 and 22' connect the pipes 21 and 21 with the horizontal pipes 23 and 23 having enlarged flanges 2'4 and 24' adapted to be fastened to similar flanges 25 and 25 by means of bolts 26.

'In practice the tubes 18, 19 and 20 have been 9 /2",

' 12 /2" and 15%" in length and those of the second group 4", 6 /2 and 9% in length. The pipes 21 and 21 have been made 24 /2 in length, the pipes 23 and 23 have been made 12" in length, and the pipes 27 and 27' have been made 72" and 56 in length respectively in their unperforated portions and with 20" portions provided with A" openings around their sides and upper portions with a 1 /2 unperforated portion along their bottoms. Further, the tubes 18, 19, 20 and 18, 19- and 20' have been 2 /2" in diameter ,the pipes 21, 21, 23, 23', 27 and 27', 3 /2" in diameter. The pipe 27 is 72 in length and the pipe 27 56" in length. The above accommodates the exhaust from the forward and rear banks of cylinders.

The pipes 27 and27. are provided with A openings 28 distributed around the sides and top over the rear 20 portion and leaving unperforated bottom portions 29 and 29' of approximately 1 /2" in width. The discharge end of the pipes 27 and 27 are provided with solid closure disks 30 and 30' secured in position by welding or the like. About the rear 2()" portion of each exhaust pipe is disposed a 20" cylinder 31 of heavy wire mesh with large diamond-shaped openings 32. Since this pipe is 3 /2 in diameter this mesh cylinder is 5 /2" in diameter providing a 1" clearance between it and the exhaust pipe. This mesh cylinder 31 has its ends 33 turned inwardly to provide a 3 /2" opening to snugly receive the exhaust pipe.

About this heavy wire mesh screen 31 is wrapped an inch of sheet fiber glass 34, the ends of which terminate in spaced relation along the bottom providing a slot 35 disposed lengthwise along the unperforated portion 29 of the exhaust pipe but spaced from the pipe by the screen 31.

About the fiber glass is disposed a casing 36 of sheet metal, the lower edges of which are disposed in spaced relation /2" apart and provide a slot 37 along the bottom of the exhaust pipe through which fluid, either in vaporous or liquid state, can be discharged into the atmosphere.

Supporting straps 38, approximately apart, are

applied to the sheet metal casing 36 at the rear end of thesame, such straps being Welded to the disks 3t) and 30 which forms a closure for the end of the exhaust pipe.

At the front end of the mufller a disk 39 is located having a maximum diameter-of 7 /2" so that it will fit within the outer metal casing 36. This disk is provided with a central opening 40, 3 /2" in diameter, so that it will fit snugly on the exhaust pipe. In assembling the device this disk is first applied to the exhaust pipe and slipped forwardly thereon after which mesh screen 31, sheet fiber glass jacket 34, and sheet metal casing 36 are applied. Three straps 41 are then applied to the .front .end of the muffler 120 apart and are welded in place to assist in maintaining the mesh cylinder, jacket, and sheet metal casing in proper spaced relation, the

brackets being connected to the exhaust pipe at each side and at the top. Thereafter the front end of the muffler 39 is moved rearwardly into position and welded. A disk42 is employed to form a closure for the rear end 'of the casing and is sealed annularly by welds around the center opening as well as around the periphery of the closure member, the members at the front and the rear thus secured providing an air-tight casing except for the slot along the bottom thereof.

In the present instance where two exhaust pipes are employed, one for each group of cylinders, means is provided for fastening them in fixed relation, said means including a depending bracket 43 at each of the front and rear ends of the muffler, each bracket having a bolt receiving opening 44 and the lower rnuflier having upstanding brackets 45 with bolt receiving openings 46 so that the brackets at the corresponding ends of the mufflers may be tapped and a bolt 47 being employed to connect and maintain them in fixed relation.

The exhaust system just described is particularly applicable for certain six cylinder trucks including that known in the trade as the White although it is only a matter .of arranging the exhaust tubes and the brackets to make ings '49.

A supporting bracket in the form of a channel member L-shaped in cross section and about 30" in length is utilized. This channel member has a vertical flange 51 and a horizontal flange 52. At each end of the vertical flange is welded or otherwise attached a depending bracket plate 53, each approximately 4" in Width with three horizontally disposed openings 54 made with a drill to snugly receive /8 bolts 50.

At its front end the channel member is supported by a single bracket 55 approximately 6" long. This bracket has a horizontal flange 56 which extends beneath the horizontal flange of the 30" strip. It has an upright portion 57, a second horizontal portion 58, and a second upright portion 59 which has an inclined edge 60 about /2 in length and a horizontal upper edge 61 with horizontally disposed openings 62 made by a /8 drill to snugly receive 78 bolts 63. This bracket fits directly on the studs 64- of the emergency brake band bracket which are already in the casing of the vehicle.

In attaching the two exhaust pipes the main bracket 55 with the channel member having the depending bracket plates 53 is first applied, then the upper exhaust pipe '27 is attached, and thereafter, the lower exhaust pipe 27 is secured in place.

From the above it will be apparent that the exhaust system of the present invention includes multiple exhaust tubes combining into a single pipe from the rear end of which theexhaust is discharged, the discharge being through a mufller made by providing openings along thesides and top of the last 20 inches of the exhaust pipe with a wire mesh screen and a jacket of sheet fiber glass with an outer casing, and with a slot along the bottom of said jacket and casing providingfor discharge from the interior of the mufller. Due to the construction and arrangement of parts muflling is accomplished while permitting the gases to escape practically unimpeded and, therefore, not creating any back pressure and resulting in maximum efficiency of the motor. Further, the structure provides for the maximum life of the mufiler as rupturing forces, occasioned by backfiring and temperature changes, are eliminated.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A low pressure exhaust system comprising a pair of exhaust pipes for connection of one end of each exhaust pipe to an internal combustion engine, said exhaust pipes having means to mount the exhaust pipes with the other end portion of said one exhaust pipe directly above and spaced from the other end portion of the other exhaust pipe, each of said exhaust pipes having a plurality of apertures extending through the wall of said other end portion above the bottom thereof and the wall being substantially unperforated at the bottom, a smoothly curved closed casing surrounding each of said other end portions of said exhaust pipes and forming therewith a surrounding chamber, the casing of the said one exhaust pipe being spaced from and directly above the casing ,of the other exhaust pipe and each casing having an elongated slot extending through the bottom portion there of whereby exhaust gases passing through the elongated slot in the bottom of said upper casing will follow the outline of the lower casing and the exhaust passing through the elongated slot in the bottom of the lower casing will induce the exhaust gases from said upper casing to continue downwardly thereby facilitating effective quiet discharge of the exhaust gases.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the casings are substantially cylindrical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 22, 

